You know, I never liked Terry Pratchett. I have a very dry sense of humor, and I just didn't find him funny.

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"Death thought about it. "Cats," he said eventually. "Cats are nice." - Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

I do enjoy that quote though. :D

Personally, I really love Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. They collaborate on an entire series of books that are sort of mystery/thriller, and they're really fantastic. They do a little bit of what you were talking about earlier, Stardancere, about taking something that sounds fantastical, and giving a scientific reason for it. It's amazing.

I read a lot of mysteries, so that's mainly where my favorite books lie. I have other favorite authors, but Preston and Child were the first to come to mind, and I can't think of anyone else.

Except that I really loved Neverwhere (I think that's what it was called) by Neil Gaiman. I don't know why that randomly popped into my head.

I don't suppose I really have any one author that I like above the many out there. When it comes to non-fiction, whoever wrote Fermat's Last Theorem. Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, the woman who wrote John Nash's biography, and Gaines' Evening in the Palace of Reason. Which is about music theory in the Baroque period. Awesome stuff.

Out of the classics, I didn't find Dickens all that great, because I felt like he was just dragging things out. Especially since it was being serialized, the overuse of that stinking cliffhanger I always found rather trite instead of suspenseful. I like Daisy Miller and The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. Then again, what I've read of Edith Wharton (Summer and a little bit of The Age of Innocence before I lost it, grr) was also very enjoyable.

I'm not partial to the script format, or poetry so it's difficult for me to get into those...besides Wordsworth's poetry, and some Shakespeare sonnets, I don't think I really care for it. Poetry especially because I have difficulty with. Rhythm and rhyme schemes are not my area of expertise. That's why I haven't read enough Shakespeare. Didn't like Romeo and Juliet because of the love at first sight thing. Also, it was not executed in such a way that I found it really believable. Unlike Lolita, which I had the same love at first sight, but the doomed love felt...well, more tangible and convincing. Vladimir Nabokov is awesome.

I do like some modern fiction--Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, and some of Tracy Chevalier's work with paintings, like The Maiden and the Unicorn (I think that's what it was called) and of course, Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Since I'm a budding cook, I also like reading about fine dining, and food preparation, and traveling and eating and such. I'm particularly partial to tea time, and have even tried some of those tea rooms on my own. They are quite awesome. I have yet to perfect timing my scone preparations so that they come out piping hot. I need to make a tourtiere soon...

I adore Terry Pratchett :) My writing style (the current one) has definitely scraped something off of his. But I think you either get him or you not, and a lot of people who read him just don't find it good, and that's fine too. But then I'm surprised you like what you've read of mine so far, scharlie18 :P

Ooooh classics. Jules Verne! And Jane Austen for Pride and Prejudice... I ended up loving that far more than I had ever anticipated (and was in love with Mr Darcy for a while, there, too). I also really enjoyed The Moonstone, which was one of the first murder mysteries. I agree with While Isle on Dickens =/ Drawn out.

I need to pick up The Blind Side. I saw the movie, and it enticed me into reading the book. That, and the editorial in the paper about what the movie left out. It was a pretty good movie, I thought. A little pat in some places, but otherwise good.

I've read some Chinese classical literature. The translations are a little hokey, but there's some great stuff there. Journey to the West is pretty fun, but there's a lot of stuff going on that's above my head. Can't name one author, because some of them had many.

Jane Eyre was good, but that was pretty much my favorite out of Charlotte Bronte's work. I couldn't stand Shirley, but Villette was a little better. I don't know if I can really count her as a favorite, since I only liked her one story.

Emma felt a bit long, but it was entertaining. I kind of was tired of Jane Austen after reading that, and I haven't gotten back around to reading her stuff, particularly Pride and Prejudice.

I like some Jane Austen now and then. I've read most of her books except for the unfinished ones.

I suppose I'd have to say off the top of my head that Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of my favorite authors, especially "The Scarlet Letter." That's pretty much my favorite book of all time. Classic literature in general is where most of my favorites come from, which people always kind of look down on, but whatever.

The Moonstone was a book I was kind of forced to read for an English class. It was thick and had tiny, tiny writing. I wasn't a fan of classics at the time, but that one dragged me in. It's supposedly the first "detective novel"... there's a murder and the detective isn't the main character, but he plays a large role in the discovery of the crime.

Wooow Chinese classical literature. That sounds fascinating, actually. I did a lot of classic German literature, but that's not very fun. Classical German POETRY is awesome, however. Does anyone here speak German? If they do, I would heartily suggest reading some and would have some examples. It just flows and rhymes so much better than English does :) And when it packs a punch, it really hits you. Goethe's poetry is amazing.

I think I've heard of Nathanial Hawthorne, and The Scarlet Letter... what made the book stand out for you?

Love at Goon Park. How could I forget that book? It's one of my favorites. ^_^ It's about Harry Harlow--in fact the subtitle is called Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. And this was back in the day (1940's, 50's era?) when being affectionate with children was frowned upon, detrimental to their well-being, and Harlow proved, well, that it wasn't, that it was actually vital. It's written by Deborah Blum, and I've been meaning to read some of her other stuff...

I don't get the appeal of Kafka. Maybe I'm just reading his stuff wrong, though.

Shakespeare! I can't believe I forgot to mention him. I'm taking a whole class on him this semester and I'm so excited! We're focusing on his comedies (LOVE) and histories (none of which I have actually read, I'm sorry to admit). So it'll be a nice mix of old favorites and new discoveries :)

Oscar Wilde is cool too; The Importance of Being Earnest is one of my favorite comedies.

Ah, Oscar Wilde. Loved The Portrait of Dorian Grey. That was such a great novel. I heard that there was some massive editing going on to make it more kosher for the era. The version I read was probably the censored version, but it was still wonderful stuff.

Admittedly, I don't have any Shakespearean background, mainly because the Elizabethan English is difficult for me to decipher. That, and I no longer have reliable access to an Oxford English Dictionary. But I'm taking a course on the Jacobean Shakespeare plays this semester, and I hope to learn a great deal more. I just hope I don't fall behind since I have a feeling the material will be challenging for me.

I've only read Romeo and Juliet, and that was years ago. Exquisite poetic language, but...love at first sight kind of makes me blink in disbelief. Meh.

Kirsten D. Randle's The Only Alien on the Planet. That was one of my favorite books as a kid. That and Madeline L'Engle's Kronos sequence with the Murry family--the most popular book is the well-known A Wrinkle in Time. I love the depiction of the universe and the world in those books. My favorite book in that sequence is A Swiftly, Tilting Planet. I adore the character of Charles Wallace Murry--love them precocious kids.

Emile Zola's Therese Raquin. Did I mention that book yet? Though it's a book that I only very seldom visit, because the pictures it paints are rather grotesque. And while I think Zola is trying to do the impossible in fulfilling his naturalism creed with this book, the moral underpinnings can't help but shine through.

I'm not much for plays, though I did like Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Ugh, I stand with Thetis on this one. I have the most trouble deciphering Shakespeare. Ugh, pass thanks. What is Jacobean Shakespeare, btw?

I read The Only Alien on the Planet in MS and I loved it. I also read and loved the Madeleine L'Engle series. Which one was A Swiftly Tilting Planet? The one with the Ethos and that scene with Mr. Jenkins? I have trouble keeping them straight. I liked that one, but I think my favorite was the first.

Language is pretty much my favorite thing - I would speak every language in the world if I could. I think that's why I like Shakespeare; he pretty much had a language all his own! I can never get over the beauty of his words. And yes, I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten a spot in this class! I think it will be a real treat.

I wasn't a huge fan of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which made me sad because I really WANTED to love it. I loved the idea. I somehow just found it so much more boring than I thought such a story would be...but since Thetis mentioned an edited version it makes me suspicious now that that's the version I read and perhaps that's partly reason it was boring.

Has anyone read the original The Neverending Story and The Last Unicorn? I'm on a children's fantasy kick; these are classics, and I'm wondering if they're worth reading. (Has less time than ever before to read anything.)

For what's it's worth, I heard that The Last Unicorn was a really good book, but quite different to the movie... it's been on my to-read list for a while now. =/

I just remembered my favourite childhood author: Roald Dahl! I must owe him some credit for my dark humour... XD He's amazing. I think I'll read Fantastic Mr. Fox today (I can still remember staying up late in the night reading that one :D) or George's Marvellous Medicine. I hope he found his way over to America. He also wrote a huge load of adult short stories, and they're kinda awesome :] Sadly I left that book in another country somewhere, but when I have it again I shall be suggesting stories!

I had to read Matilda for Battle of the Books, I remember. I loved Matilda so much that I stole a copy from the library. :x Er, anyway.

Like I've said before, precocious children are such fun characters to read and write about. And yes, Roald Dahl's children's books found their way here. He's known for the aforementioned book, as well as James and the Giant Peach. I heard that Fantastic Mr. Fox was released as a movie here that got great reviews. Matilda was made into a movie a while back, but I didn't like it as much. (They softened a lot of the dark humor in there. The Trunchbull wasn't nearly as scary.)

I'd love to read some of Dahl's adult stories. I'm wondering how he changes stylistically on that matter.

Ahhhh Matilda. I think that's the one of the few Roald Dahl childrens' books I haven't read. But I love the movie! It's still one of my favourite movies. I think I'll have to read it just to see the real Trunchbull; I mean, I was scared of her in the movie...

Roald Dahl is famous for mastering short stories with a twist. The one I most recently read is one of his more well-known ones, I think. In it... well, maybe you should read it. It's called Lamb To The Slaughter and is easy to find online. Naturally his short stories contain some even darker humour, and this one has a very predictable yet entertaining ending. :)